NAIROBI — The government has suspended the nationwide verification of NYOTA applications, which was scheduled for Friday, October 17, following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) said the decision was made in respect of the presidential proclamation declaring a period of national mourning.
“The State Department for MSMEs wishes to inform the public, all Principal Secretaries, elected leaders, and NYOTA applicants that the national verification exercise scheduled for Friday, October 17, across the 290 constituencies has been postponed,” read a statement from Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni.
The exercise, expected to involve senior government officials, MPs, and local administrators, was to be part of a coordinated national effort to ensure fair and transparent beneficiary verification.
Respecting a Nation in Mourning
The postponement comes two days after President William Ruto declared seven days of national mourning in honour of Raila Odinga, who died on October 15 in India.
“In honour of the life and times of the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and on behalf of the grateful nation, I declare that the nation will observe a period of national mourning from today until sunset of the day of his interment,” President Ruto said.
During this period, all public functions and official engagements have been suspended. National flags will also fly at half-mast across government buildings, military bases, and diplomatic missions worldwide.
A Pause on Development Initiatives
NYOTA, a flagship five-year youth empowerment programme funded by the World Bank, aims to tackle unemployment and low income among young Kenyans.
Under the initiative, 70 young people from each of Kenya’s 1,450 wards are set to receive grants of KSh 50,000 to start small enterprises — a move the government has hailed as critical to driving self-employment and local innovation.
The Ministry is expected to announce new verification dates after the late Prime Minister’s burial. “We remain committed to ensuring a transparent and inclusive process once the nation resumes normal operations,” PS Mang’eni said.
State Delegation to India
Meanwhile, a high-level delegation led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has travelled to India to oversee the repatriation of Odinga’s body.
The team includes Raila’s widow, Mama Ida Odinga; Cabinet Secretaries Kipchumba Murkomen and Hassan Joho; National Assembly leaders Kimani Ichung’wah and Junet Mohamed; and family members Jaoko Oburu Odinga and Kevin Opiyo Oginga.
Their mission marks the beginning of what is expected to be a week of mourning and reflection, as Kenyans from all walks of life pay tribute to a man whose political journey spanned more than four decades.